This invention generally relates to vehicle article carrier systems and, more particularly, to a multi-position vehicle article carrier system having a cargo supporting structure capable of being secured over a liftgate of a vehicle.
Vehicle article carriers are used in a wide variety of vehicles to support cargo and various other articles above an outer body surface, such as a roof portion, of a vehicle. Typically, such systems include a pair of side rails or slats which are fixedly secured to the roof portion of the vehicle. Usually a pair of cross bars are secured to the side rails or slats to extend transversely therebetween. The cargo is then positioned on the cross bars and secured down via suitable securing straps or bungee cords so that the cargo is held securely on the article carrier while the vehicle is in use.
One drawback with any conventional vehicle article carrier system is the occasional difficulty of lifting cargo and other articles to be transported up onto the roof portion of the vehicle. This is particularly so if the vehicle is a sport utility vehicle or a mini van, in which case the roof thereof is often at a height which is higher than many individuals can reach easily when attempting to lift cargo onto the article carrier. Removing cargo from the vehicle article carrier can often be just as difficult depending, of course, on the specific cargo, its dimensions and its weight.
Some attempts have been made to overcome this problem by providing a vehicle article carrier which has some form of movable load supporting structure which can be disposed in a temporary position in which cargo can be more easily loaded thereunto. Such systems, for example, are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,649,655; 5,505,579; and 5,417,358.
The systems illustrated in the above-mentioned patents typically suffer from one or more drawbacks. Often, such systems are complex to manufacture, and therefore costly. With some such devices, they cannot be left in a xe2x80x9cloweredxe2x80x9d position, but rather must be maintained in a retracted position on top of the vehicle roof. Some also do not allow for convenient opening of the liftgate of a vehicle when the cargo supporting portion is in its lowered position.
Yet another drawback with such pre-existing article carrier systems as described above is the inability to remove the cargo supporting portion of the system when it is not needed. It would also be advantageous to be able to collapse the removed cargo supporting portion into a compact arrangement that could be stored in a duffle bag or other like implement and then stored in a garage, or even in the vehicle from which it was removed.
Accordingly, there exists a need in the relevant art to provide a vehicle article carrier having a cargo supporting structure which can be secured over the liftgate of a vehicle to thus allow cargo to be secured thereto without a user having to stand on a ladder or other implement, as with conventional roof mounted article carrier systems. Furthermore, there exists a need in the relevant art to provide a vehicle article carrier in which a cargo supporting structure is used to support cargo adjacent a liftgate of a vehicle, and which also permits the liftgate to be lifted and lowered without interference from the article carrier, and further which does not add an appreciable amount of weight to the liftgate. Still further, there exists a need in the relevant art to provide a vehicle article carrier having a cargo supporting structure which is mounted over a liftgate of a vehicle, and where the cargo supporting structure can be quickly and easily detached from the vehicle when the cargo supporting structure is not needed, and which can further be collapsed into a compact arrangement for storage.
According to the principles of the present invention, an article carrier adapted to hold cargo and other articles adjacent a liftgate of a vehicle such as a sport utility vehicle, a station wagon, or minivan is provided having an advantageous construction. The article carrier includes a pair of supports which are fixedly secured to the roof of the vehicle. A cargo supporting structure having a pair of upper coupling links is pivotally and releasably coupled to the supports. The cargo supporting structure includes a pair of main support members which each include a pair of pivot assemblies. The cargo supporting structure is detachably and pivotally secured to a pair of anchor assemblies attached to the liftgate of the vehicle or the bumper of the vehicle. The three pivot points along each side of the cargo supporting structure enable it to be pivoted with the liftgate when the liftgate is lifted and closed such that the article carrier does not interfere with operation of the liftgate. The entire article carrier can be quickly and easily detached from the vehicle for storage when it is not needed.
Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.